Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダムSEEDシード FREEDOMフリーダム, Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu Shīdo Furīdamu) is an upcoming Japanese mecha animated film produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. The film is a sequel to both Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, taking place one year after the events of SEED Destiny.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom
Key visual
Directed byMitsuo Fukuda
Screenplay by
Based onMobile Suit Gundam SEED
by Mitsuo Fukuda & Chiaki Morosawa
Gundam
by Yoshiyuki Tomino & Hajime Yatate
Starring
Music byToshihiko Sahashi
Production
company
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

The film was in development since 2006, but production was postponed due to main writer Chiaki Morosawa's health condition. A few years after Morosawa's death in 2016, the film's production started and it is scheduled for release on January 26, 2024.

Premise

Set in Cosmic Era 75, the film will involve the characters of Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne with the first trailer highlighting the themes of "freedom versus destiny".[1]

Cast

Characters Japanese[2][3]
Kira Yamato Sōichirō Hoshi
Lacus Clyne Rie Tanaka
Athrun Zala Akira Ishida
Cagalli Yula Athha Nanako Mori
Shinn Asuka Kenichi Suzumura
Lunamaria Hawke Maaya Sakamoto
Meyrin Hawke Fumiko Orikasa
Murrue Ramius Kotono Mitsuishi
Mu Lu Flaga Takehito Koyasu
Yzak Joule Tomokazu Seki
Dearka Elsman Akira Sasanuma
Agnes Giebenrath Houko Kuwashima
Toyah Mashima Ayane Sakura
Alexei Konoe Hōchū Ōtsuka
Albert Heinlein Jun Fukuyama
Hilda Haken Michiko Neya
Herbert von Reinhard Taiten Kusunoki
Mars Simeon Junichi Suwabe
Lin Shenqiang Kentarō Tone
Daniel Harper Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Griffin Arbalest TBA
Orphee Lam Tao Hiro Shimono
Aura Maha Khyber Yukari Tamura
Ingrid Tradoll Sumire Uesaka
Redelard Tradoll Misato Fukuen
Shura Serpentine Yuichi Nakamura

Production

Sunrise announced the film at the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06. It would have been the first original Gundam film since 1991.[4] After the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06, Sunrise announced the film on their website.[5] Houko Kuwashima, voice actress of character Stella Loussier, has stated on her "SEED Club blog" that the character will somehow also have a role in the film. Lacus, Yzak Joule, and Dearka Elsman will return as members of the PLANT Supreme Council and Kira, Shinn, and Lunamaria Hawke will be part of the ZAFT military.[6] However, In 2008, writer Chiaki Morosawa explained that the plot was done, but she has been ill since the end of 2004-2005's Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny series. As a result, she asked for the fans' patience.[7] In 2016, it was announced Morosawa passed away due to aortic dissection.[8] Takanori Nishikawa mentioned at the Gundam 40th Fes. “Live-Beyond” concert in 2019 that he was told by a staff member that the film was still in pre-production.[9]

The Bandai Namco Group announced the "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Project ignited" initiative during the opening ceremony for the life-size Freedom Gundam statue in Shanghai in May 2021. Headlining the initiative is the previously announced film project that serves as a sequel to the television series Destiny.[10] The official website for the film project opened on July 2, 2023, and revealed the film's title and teaser.[11]

Fukuda said the development team of the movie is composed both several returning staff members as well as new ones, aiming to create new technology together. Despite pressure of the success of the two SEED series, the director looks forward to create a product that is able to match its predecessors.[12] Fukuda apologized to the fans for the long development hell the film took as it originally meant to come shortly after Destiny. He reflected such series left unfinished drama to the protagonists of Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala and Shinn Asuka and thus wanted to explore such possibilities with Freedom. With the long development, Fukuda also looked forward to use more 3D and facial expressions.[13]

In contrast to Destiny where most of the plot focused around Athrun Zala, Fukuda decided that the protagonist of the film would be Kira, leading to the new subtitle Freedom which serves as on of the main themes of the trilogy and contrasted Gilbert Durandal's Destiny Plan used in the climax of the previous series. Fukuda finds it challenging to pinpoint what exactly those origins are, but over the course of a year, he has been mulling over how to create a piece that resonates with what they achieved with SEED and DESTINY. In that sense, it was a return to their roots in terms of evoking those elements. Finding the concept of staying true to the routes of SEED gave the director major pressure. The CG team is striving to emulate Satoshi Shigeta's artwork. He has also major inspirations about the handling of Shinn and whether or not the audience be appealed by him. He felt that the voice actors Kenichi Suzumura, Akira Ishida among others expanded their ranges, improving the characters.[14]

References

  1. "Gundam SEED Freedin Movie to air in 2024". Siliconera. 2 July 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  2. Mateo, Alex (August 7, 2023). "Gundam SEED FREEDOM Anime Film Reveals 2nd Promo Video, Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  3. Loo, Egan (September 26, 2023). "Gundam SEED FREEDOM Anime Film Unveils More Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  4. "Gundam Seed Destined for Movie". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  5. "Theatrical edition Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (tentative name) production announced" (in Japanese). Sunrise. May 7, 2006. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  6. ""DATA GUNDAM" file". Monthly Gundam Ace (in Japanese). May 2007.
  7. "Daily Links of the Day: Disney, Urushihara, Gundam Seed". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  8. "Gundam Seed Head Scriptwriter Chiaki Morosawa Passes Away". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  9. "The long-delayed Gundam Seed Destiny movie is making progress • GEEKSPIN". 9 September 2019.
  10. "Gundam SEED's Film Sequel, New Game, New Manga Confirmed". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  11. "Gundam SEED FREEDOM Anime Film's English-Subtitled Teaser Unveils Staff, January 26, 2024 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  12. "「機動戦士ガンダムSEED FREEDOM」来年1月に公開、第1弾PVが禁". Natalie. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  13. "劇場版「機動戦士ガンダムSEED FREEDOM」来年1月公開決定 「SEED」「DESTINY」特別編集版の連続上映も決定". Anime Eiga. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  14. "Director Mitsuo Fukuda Interview". Gundam Ace. September 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
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